Council Of State Presents Report To President

The Council of State on Wednesday presented its annual report - the first ever, to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra.

The report, which covered the Council's first year of office - February 2017 to February 2018, highlights its work - records of intensive briefings, meetings, interactions, approval of appointments and consultation with the President, ministers and heads of public institutions.

Nana Otuo Siriboe, the Chairman, presenting it, gave a summary of the work done, and said, the Council found it gratifying that the President listened to its advice and reservations in all matters referred to it.

That, he said, effectively deflated the notion that the Council was a rubber stamp.

He informed the President of the Council's decision to go on recess and to resume work in October.

To make sure that government business continued uninterrupted, Nana Otuo Siriboe said during the period, its' Appointments and House Affairs Committees would be available to consider the request for examination of appointments forwarded to the Council by the Presidency.

President Akufo-Addo applauded the Council for playing its role as a statutory advisor, and for the good job done, especially the expeditious way and thorough manner with which it dealt with the appointments of his nominees.

He also praised the comprehensive work it did regarding the nomination of the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, her two Deputies and a member of the Commission.

He said he found the support of the Council 'very valuable' adding that, it was refreshing the transparency with which it had been doing things.

He added that the idea of committing themselves to the production of an annual report was comforting to the people of Ghana.

'This is indeed is a body that has come to work and not just to glory in its elevated status.'

The President made reference to the debate mooted by a former Council Member about transforming the Council into a second chamber of the legislative process, and said 'I am a bit diagnostic on that matter and I would rather let be a subject of public discussion rather the president trying influence the debate'.

'But when we see the output that we are getting from this particular Council of State, it may be a way of stealing the debate for the time being and allowing the institution which had gone on so far to have even more legs for us to see what the future has to hold'.

GNA